i'm going to take the plunge and make a sweater. i found a pattern i really like, and the recommended yarn is from that company. however 3 things. 1) that colorway is no longer listed/available on their site (http://www.mountaincolorsyarn.com). 2) on the info page for all their yarns it does say a fair bit of information, except the worsted weight category and 3) they haven't returned 2 emails in 2 weeks. (and other things on the site are outdated, leading me to think they're not as tech-focused as they are sheep- and yarn-focused).

basic info on that line: "Weaver's Wool. Soft and practical yarn spun for a wide variety of knitting and weaving projects. Sett = 8-10 e.p.i. ( i think they meant WPI) NOT re-skeined. Available in all Colorways. 100% Wool. 1450 yd/skein 16 oz hank. gauge 20 sts - 3.5”. needle size 4-6. so should i be able to figure out the weight from this info somehow?

also the pattern actually says to use size 7 needles and that the gauge is 20 st and 28 rows is 4" in stockinette, if that makes a difference. for that gauge, and the size i want to make, i need 2 big skeins or 5-6 quarter-sized skeins (1750-2100 yards total).

it's the 'bootcut sweater' from "knitting with balls" by michael del vecchio. i'd post the pattern but can't find it digitally (and the author is HYPER-sensitive about copyright, even for help requests). it IS listed on ravelry, but again, with missing information, and an incorrect picture (shows the book's cover version which is a basic sweater, not the actual bootcut sweater picture that's shown inside the book). and on ravelry it says it's a DK sport weight, but not an actual number. and since it doesn't link to the yarn mfr. and has question marks on it, i don't know how correct that is (http://www.ravelry.com/patterns/library/bootcut-sweater)

anyway, the big reason i'm asking this is for figuring out the worsted weight, so that when i go to joann's, michael's, craft warehouse, hobby lobby, walmart, wherever, for my wool or mostly-wool or wool-alternative yarn (not allergic, just don't like the feel unless it's soft merino, and even then it's $$$$), i can find the appropriate weight and yardage.

if i didn't muddle all that too much and you know the answer or can help me figure it out, i'd appreciate it. thanks!

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my knitting mojo is gone. it was already waning, due to time constraints, but with this current record heat wave in my area, it's near-impossible to knit while simultaneously two-fisting iced drinks. maybe it will return by summer's end?

You'll need a worsted weight yarn for that gauge. Worsted weight yarns aren't all the same, some are thicker than others. You may need to use different size needles to make gauge. Whichever yarn you decide you want to use - I'd suggest buying one skein/ball/hank to play with and make sure you like it before investing in enough for the sweater. You can do some swatches and wash them as you'd expect to wash the sweater, block them, whatever you want to know what you're working with.

__________________~ GG

Cheating is an option. . . . Cheaters never win and winners never cheat, but smart knitters who want to retain an iota of sanity do, cheerfully. ~~Kory Stamper

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ideally i'd prefer the lightest weight i could get away with, while still maintaining gauge... i get overheated easily so the sweater doesn't exactly have to keep out the arctic breeze but there's also only so many times i'm willing to gauge and frog and change needles, until i just give up. guess i'll bring my chair and sit a spell in the yarn aisles until i figure it out... cross off the acrylics, the cottons, the baby colors, the girly colors, the eyelashes and laces, and keep whittling down.

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my knitting mojo is gone. it was already waning, due to time constraints, but with this current record heat wave in my area, it's near-impossible to knit while simultaneously two-fisting iced drinks. maybe it will return by summer's end?

i tried a couple of yarn calculators online, and after combining their info, i got an average of 5.71 stiches per inch for the mountain colors line, putting it in the 12-14 WPI category, and therefore it's DK... or #3... or light worsted... such as vanna's glamour line. so there's my starting point? (you can tell i'm going to ask the joann's ladies for hand holding in the yarn aisles...)

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my knitting mojo is gone. it was already waning, due to time constraints, but with this current record heat wave in my area, it's near-impossible to knit while simultaneously two-fisting iced drinks. maybe it will return by summer's end?

Like I said before, you might buy just one and give it a test drive before you invest in the whole amount for a sweater. The numbers you've run are an indication of what to expect. The gauge given should work in most worsted weight yarns IME but of course YMMV substantially.

ETA Do you have any worsted weight yarn on hand? You could knit a few coasters with garter or seed stitch borders and the middle in stockinette to get an idea of your gauge with different needle sizes. Any worsted weight yarn would do as you'd just be going for ballpark numbers.

__________________~ GG

Cheating is an option. . . . Cheaters never win and winners never cheat, but smart knitters who want to retain an iota of sanity do, cheerfully. ~~Kory Stamper

The Following 2 Users Say Thank You to GrumpyGramma For This Useful Post:

This link to Mountain Colors works. The yarn at the top of the list is 4/8, and it is a worsted weight. Does the sweater you're thinking of differ from the one in this link?

It's hard to beat the colorways Mountain Colors, one of my earliest projects was Cat Bordhi's "Your First Moebius" knitted in the 4/8. This was a cowl that saw some good use in it's day, and being that it was worn close to the neck, and myself experiencing "itchiness" from certain wools, I can attest to the wearability of this yarn.

the links do work, that's why i included them. the problems are mountain colors doesn't have that colorway still available, and the picture posted on the ravelry pattern page is wrong (it's not the same one in the book, it's a variation, which doesn't have instructions, just an aside, like 'oh yeah, you could do that too if you want, but figure it out yourself).

the actual 'bootcut' sweater pattern has slits or deep v's on the cuffs, neck and bottom sides, so it's relaxed fit all around, the way bootcut jeans are... but what's shown in the ravelry picture is a basic crewneck style and has stretchy/elastic arms/waist, and it's also shown in that same discontinued colorway.

for me, the colorways that ARE still available from mountain colors are either really feminine, or really plain... but i'm glad to hear you've had success with the yarn itself. makes me feel better about it's wearability/durability. the new WIP with it looks great - any pictures of the cowl that came before? (on a side/related note, how does one 'moth proof' yarn - i have some that came that way, but don't know the at-home process)

cheers!

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my knitting mojo is gone. it was already waning, due to time constraints, but with this current record heat wave in my area, it's near-impossible to knit while simultaneously two-fisting iced drinks. maybe it will return by summer's end?

This raveler has seven photos of the sweater, it's no wonder one might be smitten

Our mountain home outside of Santa Fe was not a hospitable environment for moths, so no issues with damage until we moved to North Carolina Nuke and freeze, and when in doubt, freeze again, then store sealed in plastic.

Sadly, no photos of the cowl. DH is the IT person in this household, it has taken years for me to learn how to use various devices, including the camera (DH and I speak a different language when it comes to such things). My desire to share overcame my distaste for the "learning" process and now my camera is ever at the ready.

it's called 'pheasant' which is charcoal with a lot of little bits of color.. indigo, tan, crimson, etc, but the overall effect is a masculine and natural flecked black, sort of like a colorful granite... to my eye, the closest color they have now is 'cedar' from their hand-painted colorways (http://mountaincolors.com/colors/index.html) but even that's brighter with more raspberry than the 'pheasant' was.

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my knitting mojo is gone. it was already waning, due to time constraints, but with this current record heat wave in my area, it's near-impossible to knit while simultaneously two-fisting iced drinks. maybe it will return by summer's end?